ERS, the UK’s leading specialist motor insurer with a rich 75-year history, has introduced a Trainee Underwriter Programme at its Swansea office. This initiative is designed to foster new career opportunities in underwriting for aspiring professionals in Wales.
In April, the first group of trainee underwriters joined the programme which offers a mix of practical training and academic studies, leading to industry-recognised insurance qualifications accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). All trainees get the opportunity to spend time in London, gaining both insights into the insurance industry and Lloyd’s of London operations.
ERS is situated in its spacious Crucible Park office in Swansea Vale and has nearly 500 employees. Since its significant investment in Swansea in 2014, ERS has enhanced local job opportunities, aiming to be the employer of choice in South Wales’s financial sector.
This Trainee Underwriter Programme builds on ERS’s Underwriting Academy which opened in 2020, expanding career paths for its employees and local talent. Designed to be rewarding, challenging, and enjoyable, it integrates with ERS’s diverse roles in claims, project management, business analysis, IT, counter fraud, personal injury, and risk governance.
As part of the IQUW Group, operating in Swansea, London, and Bermuda, the group wrote over $1.3 billion of specialty business in 2023 with ERS focusing on specialist motor and IQUW on property and specialty insurance and reinsurance. IQUW has a diverse range of insurance products, including Aviation, Cyber, Cargo, Crisis Management, Marine, Political Risk, Energy, Property, D&O, Financial Institutions, Political Violence, Terror and War risks written from the London office. They also provide Reinsurance for Property Treaty International, US-specific Reinsurance, and Specialty Reinsurance, written in London and Bermuda. This diversity allows ERS experts to explore various areas of insurance and reinsurance.
Jodie Aucamp, Talent Resourcer at ERS, highlights the syndicate’s investment in Swansea and their commitment to local talent: “Our new Trainee Underwriter Programme is a key addition to the varied roles we offer in Swansea, providing long-term career growth opportunities.”
Cameron Jackson’s journey demonstrates ERS’s career pathways. Starting as an underwriting assistant in Swansea, he progressed through the Underwriting Academy to become a qualified underwriter and subsequently joined the London office. Jackson praised the company’s supportive culture and the diverse, enriching nature of underwriting.
“There will always be a need for insurance and underwriters, making this a rewarding and secure career choice,” Jackson said, emphasising the limitless pathways in underwriting.
If you’re interested in any of the roles available at ERS, please visit their careers webpage.
